Latest news with #GNU
IOL News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
EDITORIAL: It's game over for the DA in the GNU
DA leader John Steenhuisen's announcement that his party, including ministers serving in Ramaphosa's Cabinet, will not take part in the upcoming National Dialogue, is immaterial, argues the writer. Image: Armand Hough/ Independent Newspapers THE DA now has little to no ground to argue against the perception that the ANC has reduced it to a mere bystander in the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU). That is why President Cyril Ramaphosa can fire a DA deputy minister from his executive without being concerned about the political implications for his decision. From the start, the ANC has always been firmly in control of the direction the government takes despite failing to secure enough votes to govern the country as a single party in last year's elections. Ramaphosa knows all too well that the DA's desperation to remain in government runs so deep that it will not retaliate with severe action even when he acts against DA members in the executive. The DA was always going to find it difficult to impose itself in the GNU because it entered the coalition government for the wrong reasons. Its stated objective of keeping the EFF and Zuma's MK Party out of government plays into the ANC's hands. ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula's utterances that the government won't collapse even if the DA leaves the GNU should be seen as a declaration that the DA's involvement in the GNU is immaterial. Just like DA leader John Steenhuisen's announcement that his party, including ministers serving in Ramaphosa's Cabinet, will not take part in the upcoming National Dialogue. The DA must leave the GNU with whatever little pride it still has. Its role in opposition benches was more effective than it is in this current government. The past 12 months have proved this. Almost all the policies and Bills it opposed remain firmly in place and some of them will be implemented on behalf of the ANC by their ministers. Leaving the GNU will allow it to make a head start in campaigning to win some of the key metros that remain hung. It's there that it should demonstrate its governing strength. It can find inspiration from renowned Pan-Africanist Professor Patrick Lumumba's words when he correctly points out that: 'No matter how good you are…if you stay for too long, you spoil it. A good dancer must know when to leave the stage.' CAPE TIMES
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Eyewitness News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
[WATCH] TSHIDI MADIA EXPLAINS: Andrew Whitfield axing
Jacques Nelles 2 July 2025 | 16:43 Tshidi Madia Government of national unity (GNU) Andrew Whitfield Picture: EWN
Daily Maverick
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Latest crime statistics paint a devastating picture of life under the GNU
It has been a year since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) following last year's elections. Appropriately so, many are conducting audits and analyses on the 10-party coalition government's performance following the wave of optimism it ushered in just 12 months ago. Many citizens looked forward to a visible and tangible change in trajectory, with the hope that the whole would indeed be greater than the sum of its parts. Bringing long-standing political foes together offered a new standard of accountability and a consensus-style government. The mood appears to have shifted significantly in the nation's collective conscience. Because what the GNU has delivered in its first year is inertia, infighting, and indulgence. In my party's analysis, we labelled it 12 wasted months. This is of course a comparison to the 'nine wasted years' sobriquet conjured up about former president Jacob Zuma's tenure as president. Twelve wasted months because on nearly every available metric and data point, there has been no progress. The economy is flat, barely growing at 0.8%. Unemployment — almost 500,000 more without a job since the GNU took office. Basic education remains a failing ANC policy continuing under a different party's minister. Corruption continues unabated with no arrests and no prosecutions. The most glaring and gut-wrenching of these failures, however, is how crime is treated and dealt with by the national government. The latest national crime statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024/2025 (January to March 2025) paint a devastating picture of life under the GNU. Sixty-four murders a day In just 90 days, 5,727 people were murdered, an average of 64 murders per day. Attempted murders stood at 6,985, or 78 per day. Rape cases reached 10,688, meaning 119 people are raped daily, while 8,872 assaults were recorded — nearly 99 people assaulted every day. And 43,776 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) were reported, averaging 487 such brutal attacks each day. These are families, men, women and children who are affected by an inability to counter the root causes of crime and to instil a culture of consequence for wrongdoing. But the GNU sends other signals. It allocates R2-billion this year alone for VIP protection for members of the GNU. This is equal to the entire annual budget of the Hawks, and more than what is allocated to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. It boasts a National Prosecuting Authority in name only as virtually no progress has been made in prosecuting those implicated in grand corruption, including those named in the Zondo Commission report. Accountability remains elusive, and the architecture of impunity remains intact. A comprehensive, brand-new approach to addressing crime needs to quickly fill the vacuum that is being occupied by criminals and opportunists. It begins by removing the racial and political charge that engulfs any conversation about crime in South Africa. Crime is not a political issue, as many wish to frame it. Johann Rupert had to remind DA leader John Steenhuisen of that fact for all the world to see in the Oval Office last month. Crime is not a racial matter either, no matter how many try to mould that narrative. The campaign around farm murders is one attempt to racialise crime. But this 'facts don't care about your feelings' right-wing sentimentality directly imported from the US is duplicitous. The facts really aren't their friends in this matter. The latest quarterly South African Police Service (SAPS) statistics show that 12 farm murders were recorded out of a total of 6,953 reported killings, with one being a farmer. That means 0.1% of murders occurred on farms. False narrative It is the moral responsibility of every rational thinking person with influence to challenge and defeat this false narrative every time it rears its ugly head. Once we achieve de-politicising and de-racialising the issue, we can progress to the nuts and bolts of what to do about crime. And the answer is decentralisation. Communities know who the tsotsis are, where they live and how they operate. Despite this local knowledge, all policing is organised and directed from central in Pretoria. This is the reason we can't catch and convict criminals. A one-size-fits-all approach isn't working, and it is straining police-citizen relations. It is clear from data that our policing system is deteriorating, and it is clear from public sentiment that citizens feel unsafe and don't trust the police to combat crime. Decentralising the police can occur in a number of ways. First, through the formation of small regional and municipal police forces with a strong volunteer component and the additional authority to deputise private security providers with peace-officer status. In addition, policing needs to be decentralised by devolving police powers to the provinces and municipalities that will be able to raise their own police forces made up both of permanent officers and well-trained community volunteers. Accountability to communities would be enforced by making the office of station commander an elected position by the community that a police station or agency serves. Well-functioning forensic services The private sector must be enlisted to provide well-functioning forensic services, laboratories, and databases, so criminal justice is not delayed or denied because of inadequate forensic work. Then, establish better cooperation and working relationships between police forces and private security providers, including the power to deputise private security officers to perform certain basic police duties. Lastly, a specialist investigative and prosecutorial team must be created, with the sole focus of hunting down, apprehending, and convicting a list of the nation's 100 most-wanted violent criminals. This list will be continually updated and will target the country's most notorious crime syndicates and street gangs. The quality of any society is reflected by the safety and security of its most vulnerable members. African societies where young children play freely, express themselves wholeheartedly, while learning in nurturing environments, best reflect the freedom we so dearly fought for. Sadly, too few parts in this country know this type of freedom to be a norm. Our mission is to build a safe, secure and crime-free South Africa for all its citizens. DM
TimesLIVE
14 hours ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Groenewald calls for corporal punishment for those who can't afford bail
Correctional services minister Pieter Groenewald has suggested the revival of corporal punishment for individuals unable to afford bail for minor offences to alleviate overcrowding in prisons. Groenewald was briefing parliament on the 2025 budget vote and one year of the government of national unity (GNU). He highlighted there are more than 104,000 inmates in correctional services facilities with limited beds. He said about 60,000 remand detainees are awaiting trial, with about 2,500 unable to afford bail amounts of R1,000 or less. 'If you look at our criminal justice system, we must start a debate to say shouldn't we bring back corporal punishment?' Groenewald said. 'A young person who steals 10 loaves of bread sits in prison and waits about three years for sentencing. Think about whether we should bring back corporal punishment.'
IOL News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
DA to Ramaphosa: Fire Nkabane now — Parliament ‘won't tolerate corruption as governance'
Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane at the swearing-in ceremony of ministers from his Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet. Image: Supplied. Democratic Alliance MP, Jeanne Adriaanse, has renewed her party's call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, accusing her of misleading the public and enabling corruption within her department. Speaking during the department's budget debate in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday, Adriaanse said that the DA has laid a criminal complaint against Nkabane, following revelations that members of the panel responsible for appointing Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairs had ties—past or present—to the department itself. 'The minister has lost all credibility,' said Adriaanse. 'She is not the right person to lead this portfolio. It's time for President Ramaphosa to fire Minister Nkabane and clean out the ANC's criminal network from the heart of government.' The DA has accused Nkabane of lying about the independence of the appointment process, describing her actions as a blatant disregard for parliamentary oversight. Adriaanse warned that the DA will not allow Parliament to be 'treated with contempt' and said the party will continue to expose what it views as corruption disguised as governance. She also criticised the department's dismal performance, citing a sharp decline in target achievement—from 78% in 2019–2020 to just 51.8%—under Nkabane's leadership. In her defence, Nkabane attributed much of the department's financial struggles to the withdrawal of US funding to tertiary institutions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'Out of the 26 public universities, at least 13 were affected by the termination,' she said, referencing a recent executive order signed by US President Donald Trump, which included cuts to vital aid programs such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Despite these challenges, critics within the DA argue that financial pressure cannot justify compromised governance. "There is a reprieve as for the current Medium Term Expenditure Framework cycle, the department's budget has increased at an average annual rate of 4.4%, in nominal terms," she said. President Cyril Ramaphosa removed Andrew Whitfield, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and a DA member amid allegations of an unauthorised international trip. This triggered mixed emotions from the DA members. The DA also threatened to leave the Government of National Unity (GNU). Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has denounced the DA's decision to lay criminal charges against Nkabane, calling it a 'coordinated attack' with political motives. 'Let's not allow South African society to be misled by people who want to create a facade on matters with political interests,' said ANCYL secretary-general Mntuwoxolo Ngudle in an interview with the public broadcaster. 'This is a democratic country, governed by active legislation. Let's not allow a coordinated attack on a young female minister.' IOL Politics
